By Gede Parma, Eilan
Traditionally, a Witch has never been considered as having a defined set of ethical principles. Witchcraft has long been described as wilful malevolence through magickal means by society at large. A Witch, therefore, is innately evil, or has freely chosen to embark on such a journey; drawn in by the illusion of power. However, Witches know this to be a misinformed falsity which has no bearing on the true Craft. We know and work with the power of Magick, and with that knowledge we wield power. In wielding power we are directly and acutely affected by it, and as such are intrinsically aware of the delicate balance of things. In having power, we are reverent. This can be expressed through the following affirmation,
Knowledge is Power and Power is Reverence.
The Wiccan traditions, the most popular forms of NeoPagan religious Witchcraft, are guided ethically by the ‘Harm None’ rede – “An ye harm none, do what ye will”. Depending on the person the rede will be interpreted slightly differently, however the most common understanding is that we must ever strive to harm nothing and no one, and in doing so we may do as we will. The rede is a powerful statement of freedom guided by wisdom. Witches are keenly intuitive and attuned with the natural cycles and tides. We are also aware that it is highly improbable, if not impossible, to live without harming something along the way. Life feeds off life, and thus both plants and animals must die so that we may survive. However, the rede is an ideal to which we should aspire. A Witch is bound by no morality except her own inner moral compass. Need often triumphs over whether another is harmed or not, and therefore life can continue. Gerald Gardner said it himself when he stated that in failing to adhere to the rede in certain circumstances, a Witch should do as much as possible to abate the harm which has occurred – to balance and heal harm with compassion and reverence for the continuum of Life.
